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Japanese encephalitis vaccine (Jevax) is an inactivated vaccine using the Nakayama viral strain. Until 2007, Jevax was the only Japanese encephalitis vaccine available in France but the duration of seroprotection after vaccination and exact timing of booster injections was unclear for travelers from non-endemic areas. The purpose of this report is to describe the results of a retrospective study in which neutralizing antibody levels were measured in 71 subjects previously vaccinated with Jevax. All subjects underwent testing at the Pasteur Institute Medical Center as part of preparation for humanitarian missions to endemic Japanese encephalitis areas in 2005-2006. A neutralizing antibody level greater than or equal to 20 was considered as protective. Findings showed that 49 of the 71 subjects (69%) still had protective antibody levels at a median of 4 years after the last Jevax immunization. In multivariate analysis, the only factor correlated with long-term seroprotection was the total number of vaccinations received. Based on these findings, it was concluded that long-term seroprotection after Jevax vaccination requires repeated booster injections even in subjects frequently exposed to the virus. No correlation was found between seroprotection and the interval between the booster injections.

Archives de Medecine Tropicale sur Gallica (https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6458624h.texteImage); International audience; In autumn 1997 an epidemic outbreak of meningoencephalitis was observed in two coastal districts of Tunisia. A total of 173 cases were recorded with 8 deaths. Detection with IgM capture and indirect IgG ELISAs demonstrated West Nile virus infection in 86% of patients from whom specimens were collected. West Nile is endemic in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Epidemics in humans and horses have also been reported in the Mediterranean region and southern European countries. However this is the first report in Tunisia. Special West Nile virus surveillance is necessary especially in countries at high-risk for repeated introduction of this arbovirus.; L'automne 1997 a été marqué par l'éclosion d'une épidémie de méningo-encéphalite dans deux governorats côtiers en Tunisie comptant au total 173 cas dont 8 décédés. Une infection par le Virus West Nile a été retrouvé chez 86% des patients prélevés avec des tests ELISA immunocapture et indirect pour la recherche d'IgM et d'IgC respectivement. Le virus West Nile sévit à l'état à l'état endémique en Asie et Afrique Sud-Saharienne, des épidémies humaines ou équines ont été rapportées dans des pays non endémiques particulièrement en région Méditerranéenne et en Europe du sud, mais c'est la première fois qu'une telle épidémie est rapportée en Tunisie. Une surveillance attentive de cette arbovirose migrante s'avère nécessaire particulièrement dans les pays à risque de ré-introductions répétitives du virus.